What Anton Stensby's bike check can tell you about Unbound 2026 course conditions

Meet Anton Stensby, the Norwegian professional cyclist who is making serious waves in the gravel scene with Fara Cycling. After building an impressive road racing resume, Stensby successfully shifted his focus to the world of elite gravel racing, currently sitting in 9th place in the Life Time Grand Prix overall standings. 

His rig of choice this season is Gr4 from Fara Cycling. The Norwegian brand specifically engineered the frameset to handle rugged terrain, boasting massive clearance with fitment for tires up to 2.2 inches (57mm) wide.

When lining up for elite, grueling events like Unbound, Stensby configures his Fara Gr4 with a dialed racing setup. His bike features the Campagnolo Super Record Wireless 1x13-speed groupset, paired with an efficient, friction-reducing Silca waxed chain for maximum power transfer. His personal setup features a 385mm handlebar width paired with a 130mm stem that offers 10mm of fore-and-aft adjustment, allowing it to be tucked back to 120mm depending on his fit needs.

The contact points and accessories on Stensby's build have been chosen for both speed and utility. He currently runs Look X-Track Race Carbon pedals, though he keeps the option open to switch to single-sided gravel pedals if course conditions won't require him to frequently dismount and hike. His cockpit is wrapped in Silca bar tape, and his frame is outfitted with lightweight Silca titanium bottle cages. 

Stensby just returned from scouting the first 30 miles of Unbound’s 200-mile course. While rain has been forecast for the region all week, and with a few small storms having already rolled through, there’s been a lot of talk around course conditions. As of now, less than 24 hours ahead of race start, he found it to be dry in most places. So, when it comes to rubber, he’s running two 50 mm Schwalbe tires. The rear is a G-One RS Pro meant to help roll fast, and an RX Pro up front for traction and control. Dropping down to 50mm tires on a frame designed for 2.2” rubber leaves him with heaps of extra tire clearance, giving him an advantage if the course turns into a mud bath.